Reformatting ipod mini-mac to pc

i have no idea how to reformat my ipod mini. I have used it on my mac and now i am giving it to my brother who has a pc and its not working. So I need to know how to reformat it.

Hi j.ranallo, and Welcome to Discussions!
You have posted in the Feedback About New Discussions forum.
You may have missed this notice:
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE POSTING HERE
If your question concerns a hardware or software technical issue, PLEASE DO NOT POST IN THIS FORUM — instead, go to the Apple Discussions Homepage, select an appropriate product category and follow the links until you reach the correct forum for your post, then click the POST NEW TOPIC link.
In the future, you will benefit by locating an appropriate forum to post your issues.
Good Luck, and Enjoy your Stay in Discussions!
ali b

Similar Messages

My reformatted iPod mini is cutting off tracks early - WHY?

I've had my 4GB ipod mini since 2005. I used it with a PC for years, but recently bought a macbook so reformatted my ipod. Since reformatting, it has started chopping off the ends of tracks - sometimes 5-10 seconds before the end of the track, other times over a minute early. It skips onto the next track each time.
I have checked that the track playlength times match up, and that the songs play correctly in itunes. Is this a sign that the hard drive is giving up on me?
Thanks.

See doing the following helps
For Mac computer
1. Open the disk utility, hope your iPod appears there (left hand side), highlight it
2. Go to Tab “Partition”, click either “Delete” or “Partition”, if fails, skip this step and go to 3
3. Go to Tab “Erase” , choose Volume Format as “MAC OS Extended (Journaled), and click Erase, again if fails, skip it and go to 4
4. Same as step 3, but open the “Security Options....” and choose “Zero Out Data” before click Erase. It will take 1 to 2 hours to complete.
5. Eject your iPod and do a Reset
6. Open the iTunes 8 and click “Restore”

Ipod mini - Mac - Windows - FILES

Hi,
Does anyone know if files duplicate when using the ipod mini as a hard-drive?
For example, when saving a file (eg. word file) on the ipod from a Mac computer, will the file appear as duplicated when connecting the ipod to a Windows computer? (It doesn't duplicate on Mac however.)
I have been using this USB hard drive recently and when I saved files on it from a Mac computer, the files appeared duplicated when I saw it in Windows explorer.
Unfortunately, I made the mistake of deleting all the duplicated files (when using the Windows computer) only to find out all remaining files could no longer open; and this was not my USB.
I am considering purchasing the ipod mini (or shuffle). Could you tell me if I would expect this duplication of files (seen when connceted to a Windows computer) to occur when using the ipod as a hard drive? And if it does occur, how may I get around this issue?
Thanks for your help.
Alan.

Are the 'duplicate' files the exact same size? I'm wondering if they're some sort of 'information' file put on it by the MAC that the MAC file explorer automatically hides, but Windows doesn't.
Having said that, you'll have to format your mini on a PC to make sure both types of computers 'see' it . . . but other than the hassle of carrying around the cord, I can't see any other issues.
Good luck!

Eureka! iPod mini + Mac OS 9 = Virtual PC!

Several months ago my girlfriend bought me an iPod mini as a birthday present. Great gift, except that I am still stuck back in the stone age with as old OS 9 box (beige G3), so compatibility was an issue, as the minis do not support OS 9 or USB 1.1 in any way, shape, or form, purportedly. For a while I was just using her Windows machine to sync my iPod, but I wan't happy with this solution.
I posted a question to this forum about the possibility of running the iPod through Virtual PC with Windows 2000, since that OS is supported. I got a couple of responses that suggested that it wouldn't work, but none of them provided a compelling reason.
Well, to all the naysayers: it works! I finally got up the nerve (and freed up the HD space) to install VPC 5 with Windows 2000 on my old G3. Then, with VPC in the foreground I took a deep breath and plugged in the iPod... and voila! It mounted as a drive in Windows, and I was able to transfer files to it using Anapod Explorer. And it charged the iPod, even though I was using USB 1.1 and received an insufficient power message when I plugged it in with the Mac OS. I was also able to access my iTunes library by setting VPC to mount my Mac volumes as shared volumes for the Windows environment, so I didn't even have to transfer my music to the VPC disk image.
An imperfect solution, to be sure. VPC is still slow as dirt on an old G3, and I experienced several crashes through this process, but I finally achieved a degree of stability that was good enough until I can get a new MacBook. I wasn't able to install iTunes because the version of Win2K I was using needed a massive service update that seemed doomed to failure because of the crashes, but I have no reason to believe that it wouldn't work.
So to anyone else who finds themselves in this situation, I won't make any promises, but this seems to do the trick for me.
Beige G3 Desktop Mac OS 9.2.x

You can't use an iPod mini with Mac OS 9. First and second generation full-size iPods will work with Mac OS 9's iTunes, as will third generation full-size iPods which are running version 2.0x of the firmware.
(8770)

Reformatting ipod to Mac format?

Hi all. Ive got a 5th generation ipod 30gig. I previously had it synced with my Dell, but recently bought a macbook pro.
I moved my music library from my dell to my MBP via an external hard drive. The first time i plugged my ipod up to my mac, it said that i must erase the current library on my ipod in order to sync it with the new computer. I did this, since my entire library was already on my mac, I knew i wouldn't loose any of my songs.
This worked perfectly and an hour later, my ipod had been erased, and resynced with my MBP and i didn't loose any songs.
What i did notice though, is that my ipod still says it is formatted for windows. Should i wipe out my ipod again and reformat it for my mac? Would I gain anything by doing this? Or does it not matter?
I was under the impression my ipod would HAVE to be Mac formated in order to sync with my MBP.

"Well, before to reformate it, I'd like to be sure that all the music that I've in my ipd it will not be ERASE"
Reformatting the iPod for Mac will require restoring it. Restoring will erase the iPod's hard drive, reload the software and put it back to default settings, so if you have songs on your iPod that aren't on iTunes you will lose them if you have no back up.

How do I reformat iPod from Mac to Windows

I've had my my iPod Nano formatted for Mac and now I want to reformat it for use in Windows. I've tried using the iTunes "Restore" feature but keep getting an error message that reads, "The iPod software update server could not be contacted." I've tried everything I can think of and nothing works. Anyone know how to fix this?

See this -> iTunes 7 for Windows: iTunes could not contact the iPod software update server

Reformatting ipod from Mac to Windows without losing all my music

Can someone please tell me what software i need that will enable me to Reformat my 5th generation ipod from a Mac to Windows without losing all the music on my ipod. I tried xpod but that did not work. I also entered my ipods hard drive via a friends Mac and copied the files onto his Mac but although the file is clearly the right one in terms of file size when i click into it it does not display the music contained within it???? Please help
Eugene

Sounds like you first need to get the stuff OFF your iPod and onto a hard drive on your friends Mac first...
Copying from iPod to Computer threads...
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1300144
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=797432&#797432
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=809624&tstart=0
Also these somewhat dated but still useful internet articles...
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/copying-music-from-ipod-to-co mputer/
http://www.engadget.com/2004/11/02/how-to-get-music-off-your-ipod/
http://playlistmag.com/help/2005/01/2waystreet/
Good luck!
Patrick

Trying to reformat ipod from mac to windows but it won't even sync on the computer to do so

also i can't restore it because of this
occasionally it will show up on the screen and say something like drive needs to be repaired, then says this is successful but its not. ipod screen will say something like connected but won't show up on itunes
i think i rather naively tried to reformat and have broken it. its kind of broken by itself like sometimes it resets its own date

Try:
- iOS: Not responding or does not turn on
- Also try DFU mode after try recovery mode
How to put iPod touch / iPhone into DFU mode « Karthik's scribblings
- If not successful and you can't fully turn the iOS device fully off, let the battery fully drain. After charging for an least an hour try the above again.
- Try another cable
- Try on another computer
- If still not successful that usually indicates a hardware problem and an appointment at the Genius Bar of an Apple store is in order.
Apple Retail Store - Genius Bar

How can i reformat my ipod mini from windows format to mac format?

i format my ipod mini to windows, now that i use it in mac, ipod can not show on itunes, it only show on desktop. "how to reformat the ipod to use to different operating system?"

Ronald,
Welcome to the discussions. Try restoring, but on your Apple.
Restoring the iPod
JC

Mac Formatted iPod Mini, want to use on PC then back to Mac?

I want to use my Mac formatted iPod Mini on a PC when I'm away for Christmas, but when I return home I want to use it on my Mac again. Is formatting the iPod to a PC required to do this? I don't want to lose all my music when I'm away because there will be no way to get it back till I return home. And, if I must format for a PC, what will happen when I plug it back into a Mac? Do I have to reformat again? Has anybody accomplished this successfully?

An iPod formatted with Windows will work with Windows or Mac.
An iPod formatted with Mac will not work on Windows. WIndopws cannot read Mac.
If you format with Windows, you will not need to reformat with Mac.

How do I convert my iPod Nano from Windows to Mini Mac?

I got an iPod Nano a few months ago. I have been doing pretty well with it... My husband just bought me a mini Mac and I want to convert it to be used on the mini Mac instead of my laptop. I have my music on a USB hard drive, so I know how to import. The problem I have is with my iPod. How do I restore a Windows based Nano to now work with Mac? My husband said he tried to restore on the Mac (the five Rs things), but I am not sure what he did. Where do I start, what do I do? As you can guess, I am not particularly good at Mac yet?
P.S. Is there a good reference for Tiger? I am still trying to learn that as well.

Typically, wehn you plug your PC formatted iPod into your awesome new mac, it should say something like, yo this needs to be formatted for a mac, and you agree with it, and it'll reformat your iPod for your mac.
This isn't true at all. The Mac will be content with using a Windows-formatted iPod and will never ask you to reformat it for Mac.
You'd have to reformat it on your own using the iPod Updater Utility on the Mac.
Just launch the iPod Updater Utility on the Mac, and Restore your iPod.
If you only plan on using your iPod with your Mac, then it is a good idea to Restore it on the Mac. Formatting it for Mac will allow it to perform faster on your Mac Mini. It'll mount faster, and transfer data faster. You'll also be able to use your Mac to do firmware updates to your iPod if it is Mac-formatted.
A Mac can't do a firmware update to a Windows-formatted iPod.

Using iPod Mini with Mac and PC

Has anyone had any experience switching back and forth between a Mac and a PC with the iPod? I've only used a Mac with my iPod Mini, but I will be taking a business trip and will be taking my PC laptop. I'd like to be able to recharge the iPod battery and access the playlists located on the PC while traveling, but when the iPod was connected to the laptop, I got a message stating that the iPod would need to be reformatted--something I hadn't thought about before. I didn't reformat it, because I wanted to check to see if anyone had any experiences with problems due to back and forth reformatting. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks so much for the info! I wasn't aware of that.
iMac G5 20 inch 2GHz 1 GB DDR SDRAM Mac OS X (10.4.3)

Ipod mini for mac to pc

hello everybody i apology in advance for my question but ive read through the forum and i cant find an answer.
i have ipod mini for mac and im going to give it as a present to my cousin, now she has a pc and i dont know if it will work..can anybody tell me?
thanks

I'm not really sure why they asked you that question really.
There's a difference in file systems between Mac and PC and Windows cannot read the Mac system, hence the need to reformat it.
When the mini was first realeased it could be that iPods were pre formatted for each system (I can't really remember), so that's why they asked you.
Nowadays, they're all Windows formatted out of the box.

Ipod mini on both mac & PC

I want to use an iPod Mini on both my Mac and PC. Here's what Apple Support says in Article 61672:
"You cannot use an iPod whose disk is formatted for Macintosh on a Windows-compatible computer. However, you can reformat the iPod disk to use it with a Windows-compatible computer. To do this, see "How to Format iPod's Hard Disk." While a Windows formatted iPod may work on a Mac, Apple supports this configuration only with iPod shuffle.
Has anyone tried this with an iPod Mini and had reliable results?
Thanks

I want to use an iPod Mini on both my Mac and PC. Here's what Apple Support says in Article 61672:
"You cannot use an iPod whose disk is formatted for Macintosh on a Windows-compatible computer. However, you can reformat the iPod disk to use it with a Windows-compatible computer. To do this, see "How to Format iPod's Hard Disk." While a Windows formatted iPod may work on a Mac, Apple supports this configuration only with iPod shuffle.
Has anyone tried this with an iPod Mini and had reliable results?
Thanks

HT1750 I purchased a new iMac, I have an old iPod mini I am trying to sync my iTunes library on my new Mac with my iPod. I purchsed additional music yesterday but I cannot get it to sync to load the music from my computer to my iPod.

I purchased a new iMac, I have an old iPod mini I am trying to sync my iTunes library on my new Mac with my iPod. I purchsed additional music yesterday but I cannot get it to sync to load the music from my computer to my iPod.

From Here http://support.apple.com/kb/HE37
I have multiple Apple IDs. Is there a way for me to merge them into a single Apple ID?
Apple IDs cannot be merged. You should use your preferred Apple ID from now on, but you can still access your purchased items such as music, movies, or software using your other Apple IDs.

Reformatting ipod mini-mac to pc

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for